There is no doubt, the Manglewurzel is the ugliest vegetable in existence. Widely used in the 18th centuary for animal feed and for human consumption. It is halfway between a sugarebeet and a beetroot, only sweeter than a beetroot. Then it seemed to go off the radar. But, it is now making a comeback as a food stuff, thanks in no small measure to social media and some good articles in a few national newspapers. It is a very hardy vegetable and very good for you, being high in vitamins. Boil them, or mash, they are great in savouries and stews. My favourite is to roast them with potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, onions and garlic. Drizzle with a good quality oil. Sow from March to August. Harvest from October to December. Sow in shallow drills 2cm deep, 30-40cm between rows. Thin to 20cm. Grow in a sunny position. We stock the two most popular varieties. The Mammoth Red, and Yellow Ekendorf. Please give them a try. Purchase here
Chillies. Grown correctly, you can have a bumper crop.
Welcome to a world of fire and spice. Chillis have been a fast-growing area of food for many years. New products are being released all the time. My first real introduction into chilies came as a teenager in Brighton, where, in the centre of town, there was and is still a burger house called Uncle Sams. Their chilli burgers are a thing of culinary delight. I have adored chilies ever since. Using them in many dishes to enhance, and give many meals a kick up the backside, and elevate them to another level.
We now have so many varieties to choose from. Many high street stores sell a limited range. But to fully appreciate the variations, you need to grow your own. It is perfectly doable for non-gardeners so, if you fancy a grow and have never tried, then read on.
Can I grow chilies indoors in the UK? Yes, find a warm spot, a windowsill, etc. Or use a propagator that keeps a regular temperature through the early stages of growing.
Can I grow a variety of chilies? Yes, there are so many to choose from. My advice would be to grow two or three varieties and see which you like. Better still take a look at my Chilli Growing Kit.
Growing your own chilies is addictive and great fun. The variety of colours and subtle flavours brings a dull meal to life.
Chilli Growing Kit for 2026. Available now.
My Chilli Growing Kit for 2026.
We have the new 2026 edition Chilli Growing Kit available now. Six varieties of chilies to grow at home. Let's look at them. The Carolina Reaper is the hottest production chilli in the world. Hitting the Schoville Heat Scale at a searing 1,569,300 SHU. The Scoville Scale is a recognized way of measuring a chillies ‘hotness’. We advise wearing gloves when dealing with this bad boy! Next is the Hot Lemon. A punchy little number, from Ecuador, the heat is similar to a cayenne, but it has a very distinctive flavour. Next is Tabasco. Hugely popular, especially in sauces. Easy to grow. Now the Habanero Orange measuring up to 350,000 SHU. It has a fruity slightly smokey flavour. Now, we come to the Habanero White. Extremely hot. I use them in fiery curries. Lastly the Scotch Bonnet is hugely popular in many dishes, including jerk chicken. Great to liven up a dull salad. We chose these varieties for the grower to have a cross-section of heat, colour and flavour. All very growable in our great British climate. We also include all the kit you will need. We have changed the contents of the kit over the years, always striving to improve the performance. We supply large cell trays for easy sowing. A bag of high-quality compost. Large singular pots for individual sowings and potting on. Zip- tie polythene bags for germination. A Schoville heat scale guide. Seed markers and marker pencil. And of course, full sow and grow instructions. Should you need further advice, please reach out via our Get in Touch page. Occasionally it may be necessary to change a variety of seed or pieces of equipment. The replacement will always be of good quality and the same cost, or greater. SAVE £2.50 on the list price by using the code CHILL7 at the checkout. Please order the kit here. I wish you all the best on your chilli growing journey in 2026.
Twenty percent off everything in the seed shop.
Our seed shop has grown. We have increased the seed range by around 40%, while still only buying high quality seeds and remaining very competitively priced. We now have a selection of seed potatoes. All are produced in Scotland and are certified by DEFRA as reaching the high-quality standards required to be classified as ‘Certified Seed Potatoes’. We also have onion sets. All varieties are proven to yield very fine onions. SAVE 20% OFF EVERYTHING IN THE SHOP. Simply add the code DIG1 at the checkout. PLUS! Every purchase wins a Green Envelope PRIZE. Get to the shop here.
My Chilli Vault contains a fine selection.
THE CHILLI VAULT.
Take a look in our Chilli Vault. Over 30 varieties of hot peppers to choose from. The Basket of Fire is a super popular chili to grow. A very hot one! Some 100,000 SHUs. It is ideal for containers or baskets. Biquinho Red. Originates from Brazil and is named after the Portuguese word for ‘little beak’ due to their distinctive shape. They have a mild heat when ripe. All our chilies are premium quality, and foil packed for freshness. Enter the Chilli Vault here.
Microgreens Growing Kit.
With the steady increase in people wanting to grow their own vegetables, so the interest in microgreens has risen. Microgreens are minature vegetables, herbs and flowers. All edible, and all extreemly good for you. They can easily be grown on a windowsill, and you will have a crop in around 15 days. Use in soups, salads, sandwiches, garnishes and a host of other dishes. We have an ever increasing range here. Or why not try our Microgreens Growing Kit. It is the latest addition to our growing kit family. There are five popular varieties in the kit to grow. Pea, alfalfa, fenugreek, sunflower, and amarinth red. As always we include all of the kit you will need. See our kit here.
We are a small family business and we would appreciate your support. All the very best for the coming year. Good health and good growing.
Simon and the team at Simon’s Seeds and Strawbaleveguk.
